As NORAD Tracks Santa, critics track NORAD

The U.S. and Canadian military’s beloved Santa Tracker is facing something new this year – public criticism.

A children’s advocacy group says an animated video on the NORAD Tracks Santa website injects militarism into Christmas by showing fighter jets escorting Santa’s sleigh.

It’s a rare swipe at the popular Christmas Eve program that gives second-by-second updates on Santa’s global whereabouts.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command defends the video as non-threatening and safe for kids.

The kerfuffle erupted two weeks ago when the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood said the video brings violence and militarism to a beloved tradition. Blogs and Twitter lit up with volleys from both sides.

Coalition officials say it’s a “media-manufactured controversy.” They say they hadn’t even known about the video until reporters called.